Two days before UFC 333, the four title fighters on the card showed up for open workouts in Abu Dhabi. Merab Dvalishvili dropped a cameraman during his session and laid out a grueling final stretch of his weight cut.
A Lively Open Workout in Abu Dhabi
On Wednesday, October 21, the athletes from both UFC 333 title fights took turns on stage at the open workouts, two days ahead of weigh-ins on Yas Island. Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski worked the pads and showed off some of his finishing techniques in front of the crowd. His opponent, Movsar Evloev, unbeaten in 20 professional fights including 10 in the UFC, ran through a series of athletic displays in front of a crowd of fans and media who turned out for the fight-week tradition, open to the public on Yas Island. Bantamweight champion Petr Yan showed his striking ahead of his third meeting with Merab Dvalishvili.
Dvalishvili Drops a Cameraman
Dvalishvili spent much of his session running takedowns on UFC staff members brought on stage, a routine he goes through before every event. During the drill, a cameraman filming the session got taken down by the Georgian. The clip, filmed and circulated on October 21, was picked up by several American outlets, including MMA Junkie. It fits a training style built around constant wrestling reps rather than simple warmups, in keeping with his nickname, The Machine.
A Grueling Final Cut
Dvalishvili also detailed where his weight cut stood two days before the scale, set at 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) for the bantamweight division. He said he had already shed 15 pounds (7 kilograms) and had 11 pounds (5 kilograms) left to go. “I cut already seven kilos and five kilos left,” he said. “This five kilo will be tough.” He added that he had no fat left to lose, saying, “As you see, I’m already skinny. There is no more fat.” He said that from that day on he would stop drinking water, limiting himself to small sips and a little food until the weigh-in.
A Rubber Match Two Years in the Making
Yan and Dvalishvili are settling a trilogy that started in March 2023, when Dvalishvili beat Yan by unanimous decision. Yan got his revenge by taking the title back, also by unanimous decision, at UFC 323 on December 6, 2025. The series now sits even at one win apiece, and Yan defends his bantamweight belt against Dvalishvili over five rounds in the co-main event on Saturday, under the same format as their first two meetings. Dvalishvili carries a 20-5 record into the fight and had won four straight before that December 2025 setback. Yan, a two-time bantamweight champion, is defending his second reign in the division.
Volkanovski vs. Evloev Headlines the Card
The main card closes with the featherweight title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev. The 38-year-old Australian champion revived his reign with back-to-back wins over Diego Lopes, the first to reclaim the belt and the second to defend it, after back-to-back losses to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria. Evloev, 32, remains unbeaten since turning professional and has yet to lose any of his 10 UFC fights, all won on the judges’ scorecards. The Russian has said he waited seven years since signing with the promotion for this title shot, his first in the organization. American sportsbooks list the fight as a pick’em heading into fight week.
UFC 333 Fight Card and How to Watch
UFC 333 takes place Saturday, October 24, at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Early prelims start at 10 a.m. ET (7 a.m. PT), prelims at noon ET (9 a.m. PT), and the main card at 2 p.m. ET (11 a.m. PT), streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the United States. One French fighter appears on the early prelims, as Noah Gugnon faces American Kody Steele. Heavyweights Alexander Volkov and Rizvan Kuniev also round out the main card, along with a flyweight matchup between Lone’er Kavanagh and Ramazan Temirov. The full fight-by-fight card and country-specific start times are available on the UFC schedule page, updated ahead of every event, alongside the latest UFC rankings and results from last week’s cards.
